In a typical network environment, a switch may be utilized to facilitate communications between various segments of a single network in an intelligent and accordingly efficient manner. Specifically, a switch may in time learn the network addresses of the various network devices on segments coupled to the respective ports of the switch. By examining each packet received at the switch, the switch is then able to make a determination as to whether the received packet should be propagated out of a particular port, and over a particular segment, based on the address information associated with the received packet.
As a switch is typically deployed within a single network (e.g., the network of a single organization) which is secured from unauthorized, outside access, there is no need to provide robust security between ports of the switch Specifically, the various segments of the single network that are serviced by the switch are typically utilized to facilitate communications between network devices of a single organization.